Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan Says He's Fine With Split From Obama On Gay Marriage

WASHINGTON -- Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan said Wednesday that his public support for gay marriage has not put him in an awkward position with President Barack Obama, who only supports civil unions.

Donovan made news in November when he told Metro Weekly, a gay and lesbian new magazine in Washington, D.C., that he "absolutely" supports marriage equality and that the administration has more work to do in advancing the issue in Obama's second term. His announcement made him the first, and only, sitting cabinet secretary to endorse same-sex marriage.

The Huffington Post caught up with Donovan at a U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting, at which the secretary spoke, and asked what prompted him to declare his support for the issue, particularly since it is out of step with his boss.

"For me personally, it wasn't a change [of opinion] at all," he said. "It's something I've been consistently supportive of. It's a personal expression of my personal belief."

Asked if his endorsement of gay marriage has created an awkward situation between him and Obama, who has been saying for more than a year that he is still "evolving" on the issue, Donovan replied, "Nope." He demurred when asked whether he has talked to the president about his views.

A White House spokesman declined to comment on the housing secretary's position.

HUD spokesman Neill Coleman said Donovan's support for same-sex marriage is in line with his support for gay rights in general. Last April, HUD launched a media campaign, "Live Free," aimed at ensuring that people have equal access to housing, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.

"The secretary has been very consistent in LGBT rights for a long time," Coleman said.

Comments

[Busbydav]

05:17 PM on 01/19/2012

If a bill landed on Obama's desk to repeal DOMA or make marriage equality the law of the land I know he would sign it, that's good enough for me.

[OS2Guy]

02:08 PM on 01/19/2012

HUD is certainly NOT a gay-friendly employer and I can say this because my openly gay neighbor has been a HUD employee for 28 years and he has never been promoted despite being selected as Federal Employee of the year by an Federal panel. Now, as he ends his Federal career with retirement he will not be able to retire and will be forced to work into his 70's if not longer. HUD has repeatedly, year after year, been voted by Federal employees as one of the worst (if not the worst) Federal agency to work for. Federal Times even advises their Federal readers to avoid or bypass applying or transferring their employment to HUD. My neighbor, now in his mid-sixties, is well educated, articulate and a compassionate man who has watched all of his peers move up through the Federal promotion cycle and came into the Agency as an Executive Secretary to a Regional Administrator at the GS-7 level (taking a downgrade from the DOE from a GS-9 to a GS-7) with the promise of an upward mobility position. That never happened. Year after year he was passed over with the excuse that he was just too valuable to the executive he served but the reality was, HUD officials were simply not going to allow any openly gay man to rise through the ranks. Sad but true.

[Valksy]

12:02 PM on 01/19/2012

I suspect Obama plays this hand very close to his chest. Since 2010, what good would actually have been done by stating that he would fight for marriage equality? Lip service is nice. But when it is ONLY lip service, it means very little. The POTUS is not a dictator, he cannot pass the law without co-operation.

My suspicion is that Obama, once winning a second term and if he gets a Congress that he can actually work with rather than one full of obstructionist loons, will state that he personally doesn't believe in "gay marriage" but doesn't want to impose his beliefs on tax-paying and law-abiding citizens.

It isn't necessarily brave. It isn't necessarily fair. But it is politics, believing otherwise is rather naive. Trying to force a marriage equality bill that will fail will simply turn it in to the next generation of ENDA - forever offered and defeated, helping no one and achieving nothing. Sure, people might feel better if Obama took a stronger stance. But will feeling better actually achieve anything? Would it be counter productive to make a move before all the figurative ducks are lined up?

And I know that is cynical, and I don't particularly like any of it. But we have have to be realistic. Timing and influence and I feel pretty comfortable that the White House is working towards an end game in our favor.

[l78lancer]

11:51 AM on 01/19/2012

I'm not seeing a huge story here. One individual said he is in favor of marriage rights for gays. He's an American, so he can speak his mind. If there was a gag order or instructuions for nondisclosure for legal reasons then there could be a an issue, otherwise he gave his candid opinion. It doesn't sound like he had a confrontation with the president or anything. And Obama has been consistent with permitting dissenting points of view, within his administration, have a voice.

Whether or not it was smart for Donavan to run his mouth is possibly another issue.

[sf1000000]

09:54 AM on 01/19/2012

I stand by the POTUS. AS a gay Man the hubby and I are of 1 mind on this...we might get married we might not..but we DO NOT need a ammendment to the constitution to tell us we CANNOT nor that anyone else cannot. RIght now living in Sin is more exciting to be honest !!
I do wear a band as does he..we are committed to each other. As we both see daily and weekly people that have married do not share the same values that we do. Cheating and divorce are every where. I figured long ago this is the man with whom I want to be buried next to and he with me..our family values...Put your money where your mouth is, if you are going to talk the talk then you had better be walking that walk..
We support the POTUS..he is open minded unlike the GOP..who it is just care to appease a radical right that frankly has no value to marriage..and we see that every day...live in the south for awhile, the bible belt is unbuckled and the pants are down around their "christian knees"..

[piperflyer]

10:34 AM on 01/19/2012

down around their "christian knees"..

...knees that are bent in prayer, and not open for sin.

[truth be told again]

03:48 PM on 01/20/2012

Laff.

[Minty6]

05:00 PM on 01/19/2012

Wish you and your "hubby" well.

[FreedToChoose]

08:28 PM on 01/18/2012

Pay attention Republicans. You don'e have to hold a position identical with everyone else wearing your label... even if you work for them. Thinking is good.

[saldog]

11:03 PM on 01/18/2012

Pay attention Obama. He is a total and complete hypocrite on this subject and is "leading from behind" again. He states that his position is evolving which is a despicable political answer. He panders to gays and lesbians and then tells them that they should not be allowed to marry -- that is his position.

[FreedToChoose]

11:33 PM on 01/18/2012

No one is a total and complete anything. Other than that you have a point.

[rockysparks]

08:48 AM on 01/19/2012

As Addison DeWitt (George Sanders) said to Miss Caswell (Marilyn Monroe) in the 1950 film comedy, "All About Eve":

"You have a point. An idiotic one, but a point."

[rudewaitress]

06:52 PM on 01/18/2012

School your boss, Shaun. Bravo!!

[ATLJunBug]

06:49 PM on 01/18/2012

Let people live free. I support gay marriage.

STANDING BY PRESIDENT OBAMA IN 2012